To say the SFU and UBC hockey teams do not like each other would be an understatement. The two clubs met in the Third Annual University Hockey Classic, a home and home series over the weekend, which featured plenty of high flying action and bone-crushing hits. Unfortunately for SFU, their crosstown rivals would sweep the two-game series in convincing fashion.
The first game took place at UBC’s home rink, the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. SFU potted the first goal of the night, when Nick Sandor converted a pass from Jono Ceci. Although UBC controlled most of the period, outshooting the Clan 12-7, it was the away team heading to the locker rooms up by a 1-0 score.
The second period however, was a different story. The Thunderbirds struck just 17 seconds into the frame when Dillon Wagner broke in off a textbook breakout and fired a top corner rocket. Wagner’s goal was the first of five in a ten-minute span for UBC as SFU couldn’t find their legs and were constantly second to the puck and losing battles along the boards. SFU eventually began moving their feet and finished off the latter half of the period strong.
The Clan’s Aaron Enns scored one of the prettier goals you’ll see all season to begin the third, breaking in one-on-one with a T-Bird defenseman, turning him inside out and finishing with a slick backhand. Enns’ effort was much too little too late however, as a sloppy 10-minute stretch resulted in a 6-2 victory for UBC.
The bad blood spilled over into Saturday when both teams took to the ice at Bill Copeland Sports Centre, SFU’s home rink. After almost every whistle, a scrum ensued between the two sides, but the scoreboard reflected the previous game; UBC flew around the ice, winning most of the battles along the boards.
UBC scored the first goal of the night 5:34 into the first period, off of a good transition, which resulted in an easy tap in for Scott Macdonald. The T-Birds found no problems skating through the neutral zone as their second goal came off a two-on-one. The away team added a short-handed goal late to take a 3-0 lead after one.
SFU was caught flat-footed in the middle frame for the second straight night and UBC was rewarded with a Greg Fraser goal from a sharp angle.
The rough stuff really started to pick up late as the scrums became more and more violent. It cost SFU: on UBC’s fifth goal, SFU’s Jesse Mysiorek went in for a big hit, but his attempt resulted in a two on one chance down low, which
found the puck in the back of the Clan’s net. SFU’s Enns scored his second goal in two nights on the power play late in the frame.
The lone win for the Clan over the weekend was a fight Trevor Esau took handedly, delivering huge haymakers on UBC’s Ilan Cumberburch.
The third period ended without any additional scoring, with UBC heading home pocketing a decisive 5-1 victory.
The SFU hockey team heads to Boston next weekend to take on NCAA Div. I opponents and will look to bounce back from a tough weekend. This is a team still looking to find chemistry after adding 14 new players, and once they do, SFU will be back to winning hockey games.
